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The Wallabies’ current malaise and the attention attracted by the renewed experiment with Kurtley Beale at flyhalf raises again the seemingly perennial question of where Beale best fits into a team crying out for his talents but seemingly unsure of where they belong.
Undoubtedly a once-in-a-generation player who seemingly embodies the essence of the game in a way few contemporary players do, Beale has the time, space and vision that players only of the highest ilk had, and he has it combined with the acceleration, agility and deft touch to execute things that mere mortals can only dream of.
In terms of his skill set, he is clearly in a similar league to Mark Ella and Stephen Larkham. Brazilian football folklore talk of the Malandro, the football sprite who lives and breathes the game. The Beale mythology, stemming from seemingly endless highlight reels from his days at St Joseph’s College in Sydney, filled with outrageous tries and outrageous skills for a schoolboy, elucidates this spirit.
However, after an extended run for both club and country at inside-centre, the movement of Beale back to flyhalf has raised once more the question of how his prodigious talents can best be utilised. After displacing Bernard Foley, Beale has once more shown he has little to offer as an international flyhalf.
(Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The Wallabies’ current doldrums seemed the perfect moment for Beale to step into the No.10-shaped hole that has appeared in the wake of Bernard Foley’s loss of form. While Beale remains one of the few players in the Australian side with the creativity to unlock defences, he is stifled as the primary playmaker, often drifting across the field looking for runners who aren’t there.
Without Samu Kerevi’s line-bending presence at outside centre – probably for the rest of the year, too – the Wallabies lack foils to Beale’s artistic talents if Michael Cheika keeps selecting him at fly-half.
So two issues remain pertinent: who should be Australia’s first-choice flyhalf, and what is Beale’s best position? In a recent column for the Australian, Mark Ella discussed using Matt Tomua as first receiver during set plays, as he was well-versed in Stephen Larkham’s intricate set moves. But this doesn’t fix the disjointed Australian attack.
Foley, despite his downturn his form, appears to still be the best fit for Wallabies five-eighth. At his best his tendency to straighten the attack and pace to hold inside defenders gives a split-second of space to Australia’s outside backs. With Foley at the helm, Beale has more freedom to inject himself at the correct moment, using his terrifying acceleration and agility to create overlaps and pick off forwards caught out of position.
(AAP Image/David Moir)
While this may appear harsh to the in-form Dale Haylett-Perry, I feel Beale’s best position is at fullback for three reasons.
First, with Beale at No.15, his ability to chime into the backline at will gives the Australian side an unpredictability that has been missing for some time. With counterattacking rugby now at the forefront of most team plans, Australia hasn’t been able to replicate what used to previously be one of our fortes. This slight tweak would leave Israel Folau on the wing, but the thought of kicking to a counterattacking Beale, with the strong chance he would link with Folau on the wing, would give most teams moments to pause.
Second, Beale’s inclusion at fullback would enable Matt Toomua to maintain his place at inside centre, providing a solidity and abrasiveness in defence that Beale lacks.
Third, selecting Beale at fullback gives the Wallabies a third playmaker option, relieving Foley of the unwanted pressure the pedestrian Australian attack sometime places on him.
The 2015 World Cup saw Cheika use Beale as a late injection from fullback, sensationally demonstrating how effective Beale can be in the position. With the 2019 World Cup just under a year away, Kurtley’s talents would seem best suited for a return to the back.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.